“The relationship of a girl and her favorite novel can be complex indeed.”
“Ansel, I'm not the sun, stop orbiting and get in here.”
“Ren watched us as he leaned casually against the table, holding a pair of scissors. I'd never seen a classroom tool look so dangerous.”
“Tell me you’ll come back for the pack. For me.” His eyes were bright with tears. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“This is where you belong, Calla.” He pulled me closer, tilting my chin up. “Be with me. Tell me it’s what you want.”
I couldn’t tear my eyes from his. “What I want?”
“Yes. Anything, everything you need, I’ll give you. Always. I promise. Just tell me one thing.”
“What?”
“That you want this, us.” His voice dropped so low I could barely hear him. “That someday you’ll love me.”
My hands began to tremble where they rested around his neck. “Ren, you know we’re going to be together. We’ve both known that for a long time.”
He gave me a hard look. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Why are you asking me this?” I tried to pull back, but he held me against him.
The glimmer of a smile appeared on his lips. “Why not?”
My temper flared. “Are you trying to say that you love me?”
I meant it as a challenge rather than a serious question, but his eyes seemed to catch fire.
“What do you think?” He touched his lips to mine, softly at first, gradually building pressure, parting them.”
“Are you going to apologize for slapping me?"
"No."
"I didn't think so," he said.”
“Calla," Shay called from the hall. "Without your nakedness to distract me, I'm remembering that we're in serious trouble. Hurry, please.”
“I didn't realize I needed to point out that if we are attacked by a fire-breathing bitch, you can change forms.”
“You do realize you just mixed Disney metaphors, right? Disney metaphors. Wow, Calla, now I'm just sad for you.”
“I'll help you with whatever's made you upset," he said. "But this morning you blew me off and I'm not going to kiss you today just so you can tell me to go to hell tomorrow."
-Shay”
“What’s three?” I asked, hoping to move away from this uncomfortable topic.
The smile pulled at his lips again.
“Three.” One of his hands cupped my face and the other slid around my back. He pulled my body against his and my heart began to pound. I took advantage of my free hand and pushed at his chest.
“I don’t think so, Lily,” he said. “If you want to get rid of me, you’ll need to do better than that.”
I drew a sharp breath and tried to wiggle away, but he held me firmly in place, watching me struggle. He grinned as he lifted me up onto the sink.
“What are you doing?” I started to panic. “Someone could come in!”
“If they see us, they’ll just turn around and get out of here,” he murmured, lips touching my ear. “No one crosses me.”
His hips pressed against my knees, opening them, pushing my skirt up my legs. I gripped his shirt, clinging to him so I wouldn’t fall into the sink. His hand pushed into my lower back. I gasped as his body fitted against mine.
Heat flooded my chest, my pelvis. I thought I would drown in it.
“We can’t—” His lips stopped my words. The kiss just made me dizzier. I dug my fingers into his shoulders.
“You said you didn’t want to be left alone.” His tongue flicked over my cheekbone. “This is me pestering you.”
“Aren’t you breaking the rules?” I could barely get the words out. “What about the union?”
“I’d rather have you on my own terms.” His hand slipped between my thighs.
All strength fled my limbs. “I can’t breathe.”
“That means you like it.” He kissed me again.”
“The way you move is incredible.” Ren drew me back to press against him. His fingers slid down to the curve of my hips, rocking our bodies in rhythm with the heavy bass. The sensation of being molded against the hard narrow line of his hips threatened to overwhelm me. We were hidden in the mass of people, right? The Keepers couldn’t see?
I tried to steady my breath as Ren kept us locked together in the excruciatingly slow pulse of the music. I closed my eyes and leaned back into his body; his fingers kneaded my hips, caressed my stomach. God, it felt good.
My lips parted and the misty veil slipped between them, playing along my tongue. The taste of flower buds about to burst into bloom filled my mouth. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to melt into Ren. The surge of desire terrified me. I had no idea if the compulsion to draw him more tightly around my body emerged from my own heart or from the succubi’s spellcraft. This couldn’t happen!
I started to panic when he bent his head, pressing his lips against my neck. My eyes fluttered and I struggled to focus despite the suffocating heat that pressed down all around me. His sharpened canines traced my skin, scratching but not breaking the surface. My body quaked and I pivoted in his arms, pushing against his chest, making space between us.
“I’m a fighter, not a lover,” I gasped.
“You can’t be both?” His smile made my knees buckle.”
“Wait.” Shay clasped my arm, turning me toward him. “Calla, you know, right?”
“Know what?” I asked, caught in the mystery of his eyes.
“That I love you too.”
“All I wanted was to take a hot bath, to go to sleep, and to not wake up. EVER.”
“The mouthful of turkey sandwich I’d bitten off caught in my throat when Ren rested his hand on my leg, his fingers exploring the curve of my thigh. I coughed and snatched the bottle of water from his other hand, taking several desperate swallows before swatting his fingers from my leg.
“Are you trying to kill me?” I choked the words out. “Keep your hands to yourself.”
“I blushed when he stepped behind me, encircling my waist with his arms.
His lips brushed against my ear. “I believe the answer that will not get me in trouble with you is: the happiest day of my life. Or something along those lines. Definitely not the end of my carefree days or when I get a ball and chain. Hmmm, I’m just realizing that I’m going to have to buy you birthday and anniversary presents at the same time. What a pain.”
“What are you doing?” I tried to pull away, but his hand slipped from my hair to cup the nape of my neck.
When he whispered, his warm breath brushed over my lips. “Just let me kiss you, Calla. You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to. No one has to know.”
My lips parted as I drew a sudden, startled breath and in that instant his mouth was on mine, soft as velvet. I closed my eyes against the rush of a hundred wings that suddenly beat in my chest and soared through my body.
His scent was all around me. Leather, sandalwood, bonfires in autumn. He pulled back, but only for the sake of moving his lips to trail over my neck.
My blood was on fire and I was shaking. Is this really happening?
I couldn’t stop thinking about Shay in the clearing. About asking him to kiss me. The electric touch of his lips on mine.
But this is where I belong. I tried to push the memories back.
Ren stroked my knee, his fingers wandering up my thigh, sliding beneath the hem of my dress.
I grabbed his wrist. “Wait.”
He didn’t free his arm from my grasp but continued kissing my collar bone.
“Let’s skip the waiting part,” he murmured into my skin.”
“You're a freak for not being terrified of me.”
“Where are you from?” I started with what I thought was an easy question.
“Everywhere,” he grumbled.
“Everywhere?” I stared into the blackness of the espresso. “I don’t think I’ve been there.”
“And you look beautiful," she added.
"I look like a cake."
"But a beautiful cake.”
“(Ren's) eyes were sad but resigned. “And where will you go?”
I couldn’t keep the fear out of my reply. “I don’t know.”
“Please don’t do this,” he whispered. “Come back with me. We’ll talk to Logan; there has to be an explanation. The Keepers need us; we’re the alphas. We’ll figure this out. They won’t hurt you. I won’t let them.”
“I turn to see Ansel leaning against the door frame. His eyes swept over the room.
"Whoa, Hurricane Naomi strikes, leaving no survivers.”
“Just because you're a warrior doesn't mean you can't be enticing.”
“I grabbed Sabine’s shoulder. “If you stick me again, I’m going to make your head my personal pin cushion.”
“If you guys were humans, you’d already be diabetic.”
“That is exactly why you can't have me yet, Ren. I'm not going to share.”
“... coffee should be drunk in equal parts with sugar.”
“Stop whining; you're eighteen years old and you keep acting like a puppy.
Throgh my complaint carried a teasing note, the irriated eddge behind it was real. The focus required by the hunt made me tense. It's not my fault. His plaintive reply came back. I've never had a tail before. I can't figure out what exactly it's supposed to do. It's so distracting.”
“Fingers circled my wrist. My head whipped around to see Ren’s eyes dancing with dark mirth while he drew me toward him like he was reeling in a prize catch.
“So what’s for lunch?” He pulled me onto his lap.”
“Only through constant focus can you become independent. Only through independence can you know yourself. And only through knowing yourself will you be able to ask the key question of your life: What is is that I am destined to accomplish, and how can I make it happen?”
“Fellow-Christians, do let us study the Bible portrait of the humble man. And let us ask our brethren, and ask the world, whether they recognize in us the likeness to the original.”
“Fuck, baby. I can hear it. I hear all your beautiful secrets in my name. I want them. I want you. All of you. Give me what's fucking mine.”
“Sod this,’ said Kyle and he swung his axe. Charlotte watched amazed, unable to look away, as the blade sliced clean through the father’s neck and his head flew off.”
“The boy was weeping openly when Leesha turned back to him. “Just put me back out into the night,” he said, holding up a crippled hand. “I was meant to die a long time ago, and everyone that tries to save me ends up dead.”
Leesha took the crippled hand in hers and looked him in the eye. “I'll take my chances,” she said, squeezing. “We survivors have to look out for one another.”
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